THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 175 



is produced. Besides these patches, there are on each side of 

 the mid-dorsal line several longitudinal rows (the typical number 

 appears to be four on each side) of more or less regularly arranged 

 dull orange or yellow papillse. Sometimes the chessboard pattern 

 is almost obliterated, leaving the longitudinal rows of papillae 

 scattered over a nearly uniform dark background. The dorsal 

 surface of the legs is dark indigo blue, with two or three orange 

 or yellow papillse. 



{b.) Ventral Stirface. — The ground colour is pale yellowish. 

 Over this are scattered a number of papillae, mostly of an indigo 

 blue colour, but some dull orange ; the papillae are arranged in 

 transverse rows, one row on each ridge of skin. The blue papillae 

 are most numerous along an imaginary line joining the bases of 

 the legs of each side. In the mid-ventral line, between the legs of 

 each pair except the last, is an unusually pale area of skin, devoid 

 of papillae, and sometimes presenting clear indications of a longi- 

 tudinal slit-like aperture in its centre. I have described similar 

 pale areas in P, ieuckartii, and cannot help thinking that they 

 must have some important morphological significance. I hope to 

 find out later on, when working out the anatomy, what this 

 significance may be. 



{c) The Antennce. — These are of a dark indigo blue colour. 



I have above attempted to describe the characteristic pattern of 

 the skin as deduced from five specimens, but it must be remem- 

 bered that considerable individual variations are sure to occur, 

 though probably, as in F. leuckartii, all the variations will be found 

 to be readily derivable from a typical pattern. This typical 

 pattern is quite different in the two Australian species, as will be 

 seen on comparing my descriptions of P. leuckartii {loc. cit.) 



Size. — The five specimens at present to hand are all very small, 

 the largest being only about eleven millimetres in length (excluding 

 the antennae), and one millimetre in greatest breadth, after preser- 

 vation in spirits. 



Legs. — These are fourteen in number on each side of the body. 

 They have three spinous pads on the ventral surface, as described 

 by Sedgwick* for the other Australasian species. The feet closely 

 agree with those of P. novce-zealajidice, as figured by Sedgwick 

 {loc. cit.), being provided with a dorso-median papilla above the 

 claws and a lateral one on each side. 



Jaws. — The outer blade of the jaw is simple as in P. novce- 

 zealandice, and not provided with an accessory tooth as in P. 

 leuckartii. 



Genital Aperture. — The genital aperture is situated between the 

 legs of the last pair. In some specimens it is a very prominent 

 white papilla ; these are probably females. The other specimens, 



* " Monograph of the Species and Distribution of the Genus Peripatus " 

 (Guilding), Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science, April, 1888. 



